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Pastorale ad libitum

Introduction

The Sonata II is completed here by an additional movement drawn from a different source: a Pastorale ad libitum by Nicolas Chédeville in which the bass part divides into two – an obbligato cello part and an ‘organo’ (continuo) part that over long stretches holds a bagpipe-like pedal note. There is, however, a genuine Vivaldian connection in that this Pastorale is the final movement of the fourth sonata of the collection entitled Il pastor fido, published in Paris under Vivaldi’s name around 1737. (Chédeville confessed publicly to his forgery in 1749, when the time came to renew the royal publishing privilege, originally taken out as a subterfuge in the name of his cousin, Jean-Noël Marchand.) This collection is, in fact, a skilful pastiche that unites elements taken from already published music by (or believed to be by) Vivaldi with music taken from other sources and original music by Chédeville himself. Most probably, the Pastorale is an original composition. It sounds deliciously French and is easily the most memorable movement in the whole of Il pastor fido. Should any listener anxious about authenticity question its inclusion, it can be argued that the technique of pasticcio is one of the most authentic and characteristic practices of the period. The great collection of the Dresden Hofkapelle, for instance, abounds in works that are ‘mix-and-match’ composites of concertos and sonatas by more than one master.

Recordings

A dazzling account of Vivaldi’s first six violin sonatas, given by some of the most admired early music performers on record. These intensely lyrical and virtuosic works are pure joy in aural form.» More